Narcotic Effects
by Mehetabelo
Summary: After the final battle Harry can find solace in nothing and believes himself to be a failure because of the loss of his friends. A certain manipulative, platinum haired woman decides to yank him out of the downward spiral that is his life. HarryNarcissa.
1. Seduction

**Disclaimer:** Just about everyone has a disclaimer that says they don't want to be sued, or they don't own the story or any sort of copyright in anyway relating to the story and its characters. So, at instead of repeating someone else's statement, I will just say that you're an idiot if you don't get it already. Got it?

**Summary: **Post-Hogwarts fic. Harry/Narcissa. After Harry has fought his final battle and become a legend he finds solace in no one, that is until a certain manipulative woman turns up and pulls him from his downward spiral that was his life.

**Note:** I just needed to write this. Dedicated to icemanlegend who helped me with nearly every chapter that was written and to the mrsrobinsonhp LiveJournal community which he introduced me to.

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Narcotic Effects  
• Mehetabelo •

Evocation 01  
• Seduction •

Platinum blonde hair fell across his chest silkily, slippery and comforting. He could smell the faint scent of vanilla coming from it, a smell that intoxicated him.

Slowly, Harry Potter opened his jade green eyes, blinking at the harsh light from the window. One of the house-elves had opened the curtains already. He groaned quietly, wishing they weren't so damned energetic.

Since their old master had died several years ago they seemed to have regained their liveliness. They absolutely adored Harry, as if he were their savior, which was true in a twisted sort of way.

Turning from the window, Harry stared for a long minute at the slack face of his lover, wondering whether to wake her. He decided against it, but couldn't help reaching out to touch her gently. Beautiful in her own right, he couldn't imagine sleeping with any other woman, even though sometimes he refused to believe his choice of partners.

Carefully he slipped from the bed, donning the robes that had once belonged to her husband, before he'd died by Harry's hand. But, that had been a long time ago, something he tried not to think about anymore. Right now he needed to get showered and leave before her son arrived, because even though they had been lovers for a long time only three people knew, and her son was not one of them.

Collecting his clothing, he moved into the adjoining bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He sighed and leaned over the sink, splashing water on his face. Then he looked up again, staring right into his emerald eyes. _I shouldn't be doing this,_ he told himself, like he did nearly every morning when he woke in her bed.

It was like an addiction, coming to her bed. The more he tried to stay away, the less he could think about anything else. He had finally given in to it a long time ago, coming almost every day to find comfort, and help her find comfort. He had traded one addiction for another, and every morning he thought about it. It was never anything else, he came and night and left in the morning, that was all this relationship was. They did other things, and were together, but it was as if they were two completely different people during the day.

Turning off the water, Harry dried his face and then froze as a door creaked. He spun quickly, looking to see if it was a house-elf, but shocked to see her son, Draco, entering into the room. His gaze was shifting across the room, making its way towards the bathroom door. Harry slipped out of sight before the man was able to see him. Automatically he reached for his wand, wanting to have it in his hands, as much for comfort as for safety. However, it was not there in his pocket or with his clothing. After a minutes wait he risked a glance to find that it was lying on the bed, slipped under the pillow next to Narcissa's sleeping body.

Harry drew back once more, seeing that Draco was staring at his mother, his face filled with rage. He slipped down to the floor, avoiding his reflection being seen in the mirror. Unsure what to do, Harry stared at the marble cabinet across from him. He could wait until Draco left, but he was sure that Draco was there early for a reason. Yes, always interfering where he didn't belong.

He sighed quietly, closing his eyes, trying to remember how he had ended up in this position, sleeping with the mother of the one enemy that wasn't dead. It had all begun after the war, after he'd become the most famous person in the world. It was when he had hated being around people.

•

_"Order of Merlin, first class," a voice said. Harry blinked and looked around, trying to remember where he was, he had a tendency to forget lately. Next to him, Luna gave him a gentle tap and Harry rocked forward, standing up. He blinked again and focused on walking forward. He always told himself not to drink until after the presentations and speeches, but really, he didn't give a damn._

_Dumbledore had practically begged him to go to this ceremony, he'd promised it would be quick and simple. Harry hated himself for listening now, he wasn't even sure if Dumbledore knew the meaning of simple. Somehow the old man couldn't get it through his head that Harry wanted to be alone._

_Harry took another step forward and cursed the wizarding world. Yes, he was Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, harbinger-of-peace. He was the myth, the legend, everything that was good. He was the hero he couldn't save his friends, the man who had lost everything. And, he was drunk._

_Two more steps forward and he was standing at the podium, he smiled, businesslike, at the crowd below him. His eyes scanned the crowd below, but stayed unfocused. He noticed how brightly colored the walls were, alive with colors… clean, probably washed by some poor house-elf. He smiled in amusement, wondering if Dobby had enough socks now wherever-the-hell he'd gone._

_Then, he opened his mouth and words came out, a prepared speech, something some of them had probably heard before. However, he hadn't come to give a speech, he had come because Luna had asked him to. If she wasn't still around he would have left the wizarding world altogether, maybe even left the world as a whole. She was the last string that held him, the thing that kept him holding on to something._

_Of everyone that survived, it was strange it was her, the dreamy, somewhat abnormal and dotty girl. It wasn't Hermione, the woman that could do anything. It wasn't Ron, the brash man who had the heart of a lion and never ever stood down. Neville, the once shy boy, who turned into the greatest partner any Auror could have. Everyone but Luna, and Dumbledore, the miserable old coot had more lives than a phoenix._

_However, the war had taken its toll on her as well, Luna was different now. She wasn't the same Luna he'd known at Hogwarts, the one that wandered around with a dreamy look in her eye. The dreamy look was faded, and now she looked dazed, confused sometimes. She didn't talk, not unless she had to. She didn't smile, she couldn't smile like Harry could. Sometimes, when they were alone he could see her staring in the darkness, lost in a memory, or maybe seeing something that he couldn't._

_The speech ended, they clapped, and Harry turned around. The smiled faded immediately. It was a lie, all of it, every word that came out of his mouth, every smile they saw. Luna brushed her hand against his as he sat down. Without a word he slipped his hand over hers and squeezed gently. He knew what it felt like, they were the only two that could understand._

_Her name was called and she stood to accept her own Order of the Merlin. When she spoke the dreamy tone was gone. There was no lack of confidence, only lack of emotion. Her words were like his, although, he seemed to always elicit a better reaction. He fingered the prize they had given him, knowing exactly what he was going to do with it._

_Finishing, Harry could hear clapping as his head started to clear. It had been almost too long since he'd had a drink, he was starting to sober up._

_"I'm leaving," Luna said a few minutes later, as soon as the dancing began. Harry nodded, not interfering, he knew where she was going and he also knew that she needed to do it alone. Somehow in the six years she'd known Ron, things had changed between the two. She'd have married him if he survived, but he hadn't, and now she had her last goodbye gift for him, something he'd always talked about after school ended._

_When the festivities got into full swing Harry stood, his mind had cleared too much to not see the looks that people gave him. He turned and moved into the shadows, effortlessly disappearing from the rest of the crowd. He was good at it, and even though he'd given up his Auror status he didn't forget their tricks._

_With a flick of his hand he summoned a bottle of Firewhisky from the table. Then he left the entertainment behind, finding a quiet, empty room to slip into. He moved into the back corner and slumped to the ground, bottle in hand. He hated it when he was sober, he started to remember them, started to remember names. Cho, Dean, Seamus, all dead. The DA hadn't gone down without a fight, and what a battle it had been! However, against those numbers there was no chance of winning, and they had died, every last one of them._

_Taking a long swig from the bottle, he ignored the tears that slid down his face. It was inevitable, the tears. They came at odd times anymore, but generally happened when he wasn't drinking, and always when he was alone. There was never any real warning, and he never had control over them. The easiest thing to do was let them come and go. He raised the bottle again, gulping until his throat burned._

_Alone, in the dark, he sat there, thinking about his power. **Love.**__He snickered to the shadows that danced around the room. As if love could destroy Voldemort. No, it wasn't love, it was sacrifice and friendship and a whole lot of luck. Something the self anointed dark lord could not understand and something Harry hated to remember._

_Again he raised the bottle, guzzling the drink as fast as he could, until the fire in his stomach made it too painful to continue. He lowered the bottle and stared at the floor, finally feeling the first effects of the alcohol in his system again. He'd built up such immunity to everything, that now he could drink it as freely as water and it wouldn't kill him._

_The door opened to his room, spreading light around, banishing the nearby shadows that were taunting him. Then, the light disappeared and the shadows returned. He closed his eyes, not even wanting to look up to see who had invaded his private time. He found it was easier to go unnoticed if you didn't notice them. Something else Auror training had taught him._

_The footsteps approached and a delicate white hand, with a glass appeared. "Share a drink with me?" a soft female voice asked and Harry looked up slowly into the blank face of Narcissa Malfoy._

_"It's the least you could do," she said as she slid down next to him. "…since you've taken my hiding spot away from me."_

_"Not your husband?" Harry asked sarcastically, pouring some of his Firewhisky into the glass and looking into her eyes. She smiled maliciously and he suddenly wished she would do whatever it was she meant to do and leave. He didn't like being around other people, he hated looking at people who didn't deserve to be alive, the one's that wouldn't fight when they could have, or that hid from the fight._

_"My husband died because his loyalties were not where they should have been," she said. Then she brought the cup to her lips and tipped it back, letting the liquid poor down her throat. Harry watched, partially suspicious, but not really caring anymore. The alcohol had finally worked its way all the way through his system._

_"And where exactly are your loyalties?" he asked, before raising the bottle to pour her more, then taking another swig himself. He could see a smile flash across her face, then disappear again. He shook his head, wondering if it was just the alcohol, or if he'd actually seen it. Sometimes he saw things when he drank too much, but he was pretty sure he hadn't gotten that far yet._

_Gently she reached out and touched his arm. Immediately Harry jerked away, repulsed by the touch, he hadn't allowed himself to be touched since Tonks had died. He had forced any thoughts of any woman out of his mind, he simply wouldn't allow himself to dishonor her memory that way. Besides, Narcissa was a Malfoy, and he hated Malfoys._

_"My loyalties are to myself and my family," she said curtly. Harry didn't even look up at her, because he didn't want to see what she looked like. He'd seen her earlier wearing her tight, immodest robes. She certainly didn't look as if she was in mourning, even if it had been a long while Harry still thought that she was acting completely wrong._

_The problem was, no matter how much he hated her, he found her attractive. The widow must have been using some sort of potion to keep up her looks, because at 40 she didn't look a day over 28. The problem was that she was always there, standing nearby every time he made any sort of public appearance._

_"To your son then?" he asked, trying to concentrate on the floor, but loosing focus. He tipped back the bottle again, his head bumping the wall behind him. He closed his eyes, knowing it was the only way he'd be able to keep them from wandering._

_He felt her touch him again and he jerked from the touch, toppling to the floor. He rescued the bottle first, standing it up before he righted himself. He could see her next to him staring, almost confused, almost hateful. He didn't know or understand, nor did he care anymore._

_"My loyalties lie where they need to be, and that's with me first. My son, of course, is included in those I would protect, but he does not rule me, I am his mother._

_"Good," Harry nodded, growling. "Then you'll hate me for putting him into Azkaban for a few dozen years."_

_Of course, he was lying, about it. Not that he couldn't put the bastard into Azkaban, but with all the information he had on Draco, he'd end up in far worse trouble. Apparently someone had learned from their mistakes, and this time around Death Eaters weren't shown leniency so that they could return or be rescued later. No, being a Death Eater was punishable by a Dementors kiss or death, no questions asked. Harry had more than enough proof that Draco had been one, even if the man was a sniveling coward._

_Still, the war was over. Voldemort was dead, for good this time. There had been enough killing. Draco was spared because he hadn't been there, at the last battle. The simpering little brat had been hiding, doing his best to stay safe._

_"You're not going to do that," Narcissa said after a prolonged silence that Harry used to finish off the Firewhisky._

_Feeling haughty, and tired of listening to the snooty woman, Harry grabbed a nearby chair and hoisted himself to his feet. He glanced at the door, even took a few stumbling attempts towards it, then fell flat on his face. Even now he could swear he'd heard her say something after that, but it was so quiet that he couldn't make out the words._

_The next thing he remembered, he was laying in a comfortable bed with sheets of silk covering him. Next to him he could feel a warm, soft body next to him._

_Cautiously, he raised his arm and touched the person. They were breathing regularly, and their heartbeat was stable. Such a keen sense of other people was one of Harry's many talents. His hand slipped over the back, snaking forward until he found breasts, confirming it was a woman._

_Without thinking he slipped forward, pressing up against her, breathing in the scent of her skin. He couldn't remember why he was there, or who she was, the alcohol confused the memories, but it only heightened the physical feelings. Somewhere in the back of his mind, shoved down by the amount of alcohol in his system, Harry knew he shouldn't be doing this. However, the moment he touched her again his inhibitions vanished, and he found he didn't even care who it was with him or how he'd ended up naked in a bed with her._

_He kissed her neck first, using his free hand to part the hair. His eyes weren't working right when he tried to open them, so he decided to keep them shut instead, so he didn't get sick. It brought a response, a small one, he could feel her heart start beating faster, but only just a bit._

_His right hand slipped forward again, at first gently touching her firm breasts, massaging them lightly, but then slowly slipping down across her firm stomach and into her nether regions. He found her warm spot and kissed her neck again, fingers manipulating themselves expertly to get her excited._

_There was a moan of pleasure, and her heart beat quickened again, and there was a short gasp of breath as she awoke. She didn't say anything, didn't even turn her head, but she moaned with pleasure. Her legs locked around his hand, effectively preventing him from pulling away. His groin tightened against her backside, slipping into the curve of her buttocks._

_Now that she was awake he grew slightly more confident, teasing her more with his hands and bringing another groan of pleasure. He wasn't inexperienced, he was in fact far from it, but he hadn't been with a woman in a long time and he found himself wondering why he had ever stopped. The answer was Tonks, the stumbling Auror. She had died, leaving him with a broken heart and no one to confess his love to. She'd been the woman that had first initiated him, taught him things that he'd only imagined, then helped get him with other woman, sometimes joining him in the flings. He'd fallen in love with her, and never even known it, not until it was too late._

_The woman pressed against him, curling slightly and rubbing her legs together. His attentions had wandered for a minute and she hadn't liked it when he quit teasing her. It brought him from his thoughts of Tonks, and he returned to manipulating his fingers to bring pleasure. He kissed her neck again, trailing slowly down her back, soft butterfly kisses that caused her to shiver._

_She rolled a little, until she was lying on top of him instead of beside him. He groaned with pleasure as her ass slipped back and forth along his member, bringing pleasure he hadn't felt in a very long time. Finding his left hand free from her weight he immediately reached up to touch her breasts again, tweaking her nipples until she moaned with pleasure._

_After several minutes, as both of them neared an orgasm from the contact, she pulled away completely. Laying there, unsure what was going on he opened his eyes, but all he could make out was strands of blonde hair that was covering his face. It brushed away and red lips descended to his mouth. He could feel her body straddle him below, carefully slipping down on him, but not letting him inside her._

_Her kiss was vigorous, searching, and he let himself fall into it, enjoying the small ripples of pleasure that the lips sent through his body. It was warm at first, and he could taste butterbeer on her lips. He tongue slowly slipped through them, tracing his lips and leaving an even sweeter taste. He didn't open his mouth immediately, but she bucked slightly against him, sending jolts through his body as his erection rubbed up against her stomach, and his mouth opened. Her tongue, delighted for the opening, slipped in, stimulating him enough that another set of shivers passed through him._

_His hands wandered along her back, feeling the curve of her body. He pulled her closer, caressing her. She shuddered with delight, and he could hear a rumbling from her throat, almost like a purr. Her legs intertwined with his and then locked against him, giving him another jolt of pleasure as she slid along his erection again, bringing him closer to ecstasy._

_The woman had been Narcissa. _

_Hours later, after he'd been with her a fourth time, he'd gotten up and stumbled around until he found his glasses. When he'd put them on he'd found himself in a bedroom he did not recognize, in a place that seemed far too lavishly decorated. Then he looked down at the woman. When he saw her there, spread out naked on the bedspread, he looked away quickly, hating himself already. He found his clothing folded neatly in a pile with a note attached._

_Once he'd dressed, he opened the note and read it. It said some things that he knew shouldn't have been said, then asked him not to send Draco to his death. It even offered things, money, power, sex, anything he could want. Harry, angry, had torn the note to shreds and left the house to find refuge in a nearby tavern where he drank away the memories._

•


	2. Confusion

Evocation 02

• Confusion •

Draco's voice cut through the fog of memories. "Mother?" he asked, and Harry could tell he was much closer to the center of the room, and likely wasn't planning on leaving. The poor sod was digging his grave by waking Narcissa now, while he was standing in the center of the room. She wasn't going to be happy about him intruding on her privacy.

"Mother, are you awake?" he asked.

There was a slight shifting on the bed, the silk sheets sliding across each other. Harry wished he'd covered her before he'd entered the bathroom. At the moment she wasn't wearing any clothing at all. In fact, other than a small bit of the sheet that was covering her waist, she was completely exposed. However, Draco wasn't supposed to be there, and it made Harry angry that he had come so deliberately into her room.

It was almost as if the man was looking for something, or someone. Harry wondered if Draco had any idea that his mother was sleeping with Harry Potter. It was likely, while sometimes he was a complete sod, he wasn't an idiot. The two had been sleeping together on and off for a long time, so there must have been some clues.

Still, unless somehow he managed to get the elves to talk, something Narcissa had forbidden them to do, he couldn't know. During the day, outside her room, they were completely different people. They barely seemed to know each other, even if they knew everything about one another. They were polite, and strictly business.

"Draco?" Narcissa's voice asked groggily. Harry could hear her snap awake the next instant, and knew what was forthcoming. He smiled, waiting for it.

A growl rose from her throat and she started to repeat his name again, in anger this time. She paused though, and Harry was sure she was looking to see what time it was, or possibly check to see if he was around. Of course, she'd disguise it in some manner; blame it on her waking state perhaps.

"What are you doing here this early?" she demanded. "When we spoke you said you'd be here at ten, it's barely past seven."

Harry didn't even have to see it to know what Draco's face looked like as he spoke. He'd been around Draco enough in his life that he knew the man's every mood. "Yes," he sneered his face filled with malice. "I had hoped to find you awake, perhaps in a slightly more receptive mood. However, I find you alone, as _always._"

Something about the words that were said triggered a second memory. He knew that Draco was implying that he had been present in Narcissa's bed, or that someone had been.

_•_

_"You're not yourself," Luna whispered as they sat at The Three Broomsticks, Harry sipping Firewhisky while Luna sipped butterbeer. "I've never seen you forget money for drinks."_

_Harry looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot, and straining to stay open. He'd been awake for two days now, unsure what he was doing and why. "There's something important I need to talk to you about," he said quietly, deciding that sipping wasn't enough, instead he just gulped down the glass of Firewhisky._

_The waitress who had served them earlier was at his side almost instantly, filling his cup again. He knew why, he was Harry-bloody-Potter and he always got top service no matter where he went. At least it was good for service sometimes. _

_Glancing at the retreating figure, Harry raised his wand and muttered a silencing spell. He really didn't want people to hear what he had to say, because it would end up as headlines on every wizarding newspaper. Well, except for the Quibbler, which was ironic, since Luna owned the damned thing and that's who he was talking to. Still, it was much easier to talk in the open, talking about it was uncomfortable enough, but doing it alone in a room was not something Harry wanted to do._

_"I've been sleeping with someone," he said cautiously. He'd been unsure how to delve into the subject, so he did it the easiest way he knew how, jumping right to it. Nervously he glanced around again to see if anyone was staring his direction. Of course, anyone that recognized him would look, but the staring could mean someone was trying to read his lips, a muggle thing, but not unknown in the wizarding world. _

_Muggle things were becoming more and more commonplace in wizarding households lately. It was a trend that he'd set when a witch had caught him shopping to stock his place with muggle electronics. Some witch had gone and developed a way for electrical objects to work in magical households, and though it wasn't perfected, it was sure doing a job on the magical world. _

_Luna gave one of her rare smiles, something that Harry had seen twice in the past year. "And you feel as if you're betraying the memory of someone who died," she stated, not making it a question._

_Throwing back another triple shot of Firewhisky, he slammed it into the table and looked Luna in the eyes._

_"I loved her, even if I never told her," he said awkwardly. "…and now I betray her by sleeping with someone else, just because it feels good."_

_"Of course you loved her," Luna said quietly, reaching forward and slipping her hand into Harry's. No tears came to him, but they were there, buried underneath a face school in passive emotions. "Just as she loved you. But sleeping with someone else isn't going to betray her memory. She'd want you to find love somewhere else."_

_The waitress approached again, starting to pour more. Harry glared at her, and reached out, taking the whole bottle. She nodded and then slipped away, half frightened, half reverently. She didn't know how to take Harry and his mood, just as no one did anymore._

_"It's not about love," Harry growled. "I can't love the woman. She's good in bed, that's all."_

_He took a swig of the alcohol, letting the burning in he throat sooth him. "Why'd she have to go?" Harry asked finding it hard to breathe. "I never could say it, not until it was too late. I wanted to tell her so much, but it made everything so much more real and I didn't."_

_Luna looked at him and sighed. She stood, and moved to his side of the table. He heaved a long sigh as she wrapped her arm around him tightly. He started sobbing on her shoulder, no longer able to fight the feelings off._

_Several minutes later, when the tears were gone, Harry drew back slowly. Luna didn't fight, didn't push him to talk. She was there, offering to hold him if he still needed it and that's how he kept his strength. She was the only one left, the only one he still trusted. "You know if things had been different we could have been together," Harry said, staring into her eyes, looking to see if there was any response to his words._

_She smiled again, softly, then leaned over and kissed Harry on the forehead. She drew back and looked at Harry, but it wasn't a look of love. "Tonks was meant for you, just as Ron was meant for me," she said in an understanding tone. "You and I were not meant to be a couple, nor could that ever happen. You're my brother Harry, or the closest thing I have to one, and though siblings have fallen in love before, I do not believe it is our destiny."_

_Harry couldn't help but smile, Luna was so frank that it sometimes made him wonder if she knew how to act any other way. Of course, he knew she could, he'd seen other faces she put on. During the war she'd been sharp as a tack and quite good at retrieving information as an undercover operative. No one put a second thought into a ditzy blonde wandering around._

_"She'd be happy for you I think," Luna said, changing the tone of the conversation. "Tonks, she'd want you to go on without her."_

_"I know," Harry said quietly, bowing his head. "I just can't forget her though, she and I…"_

_"…had something special," Luna finished._

_Harry knew she understood his feelings. She hadn't been out with anyone either. Not since the war had ended and Ron had died. Not that she'd ever gone out with very many people to start with, but she wasn't exactly the ugly step-sister sort. In fact, a lot of guys thought she was quite beautiful. If it wasn't for her wandering attitude and love of Ron, she'd likely already be married._

_It wasn't as if Harry's date book was empty either. Everyone wanted to talk to him, have a chat, see how he was doing, or go out with him. He'd quit responding to owls unless it was official business. Between donations and pictures, he was sure he could have hired a crew of elves and they would have taken years to sift through everything he had received._

_"So who is it?" Luna finally asked. The curiosity was getting to her, which wasn't something that often happened. Harry supposed that it was because that it was so difficult for him to have chosen someone. He supposed that had she been at the ball that night she would have known. But she'd left before Harry had spoken with Narcissa, and since they hadn't spoken since, it was easy to not know who._

_Harry sighed and looked at her, the tiny blonde oddball who had saved his life on more than one occasion. She'd been injured in the last battle and almost died herself. She probably would have if Harry hadn't needed her, needed someone to stay at his side. After his wounds had healed he'd sat next to her for a full month, leaving only when it was absolutely necessary. She had gotten well, slowly. However, his presence had formed an even stronger bond, one that would never be broken. He did understand her when she referred to him as a brother, because that's all he could see her as, a sister._

_If it had been Ginny, and the feeling hadn't been mutual, then it could have progressed to something else. Perhaps even Hermione, the dedicated friend who had been with him for ten full years, never once wavering. Susan, whose quiet smiles made him smile back. So many people he could have loved. So many people who died._

_"It's Narcissa Malfoy," he finally responded. _

_"Her efforts to seduce you finally played out then," Luna commented._

_Harry stared at her, blinking._

_Until she had dragged him into her bed he hadn't even realized she was there most of the time. He definitely hadn't thought that she was trying to seduce him. He didn't really understand why should would either, she was a very confusing person._

_The first time they'd had sex was for her son's life. As if the dimwit should be living anyway. She had priorities, and he was near the top, under herself of course, the woman was cold about how she prioritized her life._

_The second time had been for the same reason, but Harry had been the one to initiate it, he knew he could get it from anyone, but for some reason she'd been different. She hadn't offered it because he was Harry Potter. After all, Harry had murdered her husband, she wouldn't swear her loyalty to him simply because he'd defeated Voldemort. Instead of Harry feeling used, it had felt as if, for an instant, that he was using her. He realized it that night, what he was doing, how he was being something he hated. It had been one of the few moments of clarity in his life since the war had ended._

_So, after the second time he'd ended it, told her that her debt had been repaid and that he would not return. When she'd asked him why he simply left without an explanation, he hated himself for what he'd done and hated admitting it even more._

_So, he had been surprised when a week later she'd invited him to return again. That was five days ago, and he hadn't slept since that night. He'd been awake, fighting against the demons in his mind, trying to understand why she would want him to come. She hadn't asked for anything, hadn't tried to pawn a relationship off on the media. She was well off, having inherited the Malfoy estate, she didn't need or want fame. There was nothing he had that she couldn't get elsewhere, and yet she had still asked him to return._

_"I don't know if I can do this," he said finally, looking at the marred corner of the table, he dug at it with his fingernails, trying to think of something other than Narcissa, something that wouldn't make him confused._

_"Have you considered that she may just want to be with you?" Luna asked simply. "I know you've considered every reason why she would try and bring you close, everything from resurrecting Voldemort, to gaining notoriety. It's just as likely that you've thrown aside every explanation you can think of – or else you wouldn't be here with me, because then it would be a simple answer. But, I think the one thing you refused to believe was that it could be something that you both need."_

_Harry stared at the chipped mug in front of him, then poured himself a drink. "Luna," he said quietly even though no one else could hear him anyway. "Sometimes you're too smart." She smiled again and stood up, leaving Harry to think about his feelings._

_It was an hour later when he found himself standing on the doorstep to the mansion, unsure what he was doing, and afraid to consider that it was anything more than just sex. The door opened and a little elf let him in, he gave the creature a smile before it disappeared, frightened._

_"I hoped you would come back," Narcissa said softly, taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom._

• Edited 2004.11.10 •


	3. Drowning

Evocation 03

• Drowning •

Draco's mood had changed from venom to silk, like flipping a light switch. There were still buried signs of contempt, but his mood had changed instantly.

"Mother," Draco said, effectively cutting off whatever it was Narcissa had been about to say. "I've heard talk."

"Talk?" she snapped back. "And I would have thought that you wouldn't listen to rumors, I've raised you better than that."

Harry could hear her moving, then the blankets sliding across the bed as she stood. He could imagine exactly what she looked like, holding the dark silk sheets to her body, it had been burned into his memory after seeing it so many times.

"Are you denying that you're having an affair with a man?" Draco asked, trying to catch her off guard.

Of course Narcissa would have none of it. Harry smiled, thinking about her quick wit, the snappish thing she might say in return, but there was silence for a minute, something that rarely came from her when she was angry, like now. She did respond, but it was careful words, chosen as to not bring further anger from Draco. "Your father has been dead for well over five years now, it is hardly an affair."

Draco gagged and Harry wondered why she hadn't just lied, denying it had ever happened. The only people who knew of it would not talk, he was sure of that. Harry didn't lay his trust lightly, not anymore, and he trusted everyone to keep silent.

The next words Draco spoke were laced with venom that even Draco rarely had. "And who is it you're having this liaison with?" he demanded.

"That is none of your concern," Narcissa replied, returning to her normal snappish self. He could hear clothing from the closet rustling, and knew she was getting dressed, probably just pulling down a robe to wear until Draco left. "You've grown old enough to take care of your own interests, and I am old enough to take care of mine."

"Obviously not well enough mother. You've grown careless, allowing me to discover of your little escapades with other men."

"You assume too much," she snapped back. "There's hardly been more than one man in my bed. Unlike your father he treats me with respect. He's also proved himself both capable and enduring enough to be worthy of my attentions. He was even willing to compromise and sacrifice, something your father would never understand."

Harry knew what she was talking about when she said that. It wasn't just the sex that was the reason he was still there. There had been some things about him that had continued to degrade after the war, and she'd found him at one of his lowest points.

•

_"So I'm invited over tonight?" Harry whispered in Narcissa's ear, at the party they were attending. She'd flirted around him like a snack that he couldn't touch for an hour already, toying with his emotions. It felt odd that she practically ignored him, just being close enough that it caught his attention. This was the first time in the night he'd been able to slip close enough, with few enough people around, that he could whisper in her ear._

_Somehow Harry had dealt with the facts of their relationship, that it was nothing but a series of sexual encounters, very good sexual encounters. They didn't date, they didn't visit other than the nightly romps, in fact, they rarely saw each other anywhere else unless they happened to attend the same party together. However, Harry only went where there was good reason, and anymore he was having fewer and fewer reasons. Yet, he still attended, in hopes that Narcissa would invite him over at some point during the secret flirting that went on between them._

_Harry was glad to see her smile, but noticed that it was to a person that had passed by, a high ranking ministry official Harry recognized. He frowned as the man passed, looking surprised at him. Still, the man continued on past Harry. Narcissa adjusted herself in the lineup they were standing in and Harry felt her hand slip around his slowly, squeezing slightly._

_The hand moved forward, removing the goblet from his hand. It was half filled with Firewhisky. She stepped away, placing it on a table, and then fading away into the back room. Harry followed as soon as he realized what she was doing._

_Minutes later, with a grin on his face, Harry approached Narcissa in a hallway where she was hidden. He moved closer, trying to kiss her. Normally he wouldn't do something so forward in public, but at the moment he was feeling very good and didn't give a damn about everyone else._

_She shied away._

_Unsure why she was responding in such a way, Harry pulled back. He had never forced himself on someone, nor would he. It did cause him to rethink what he was doing, and his confidence faded. Underneath the face schooled in emotion he felt rage building up. "Can't be seen with me?" he whispered fiercely._

_"Hardly," she said, laughing at his display of emotion. "I refuse to be with you in such a state. So, I have made a decision, if I am to be with you, you won't be allowed to continue drinking."_

_Her eyes traveled from Harry's to the light down the hall where the party was still going on. "You're a drunk Harry," she said once her eyes had returned to his own. "... and a slob because of it. It's been progressing slowly, and you're becoming less of a man than my husband was."_

_"I am not a drunk!" Harry said, bordering on too loud. It attracted attention in their direction and Narcissa shook her head, slipping out of the room quickly, refusing to be seen with him. Harry stared at the wall that she'd been leaning up against, angry. The moment she'd mentioned her husband it had made Harry choke inside, she had never once mentioned him since the first time. He growled and then banged his head into the wall before following her further into the back._

_She was waiting in the same room where they'd originally met. She'd found a seat in a chair, alone, waiting for Harry to come to her._

_However, she ignored him when he entered, sipping her drink a little at a time. Her eyes stayed closed, a good tactic for avoiding looking at someone, and one Harry knew well. He understood what she was doing, casting him out, and he was getting even madder because of it._

_"So that's it?" Harry asked, loudly, not really caring if someone else heard. "We get together, you get your jollies, then tell me to leave?" he paused, awaiting some sort of response from her, but nothing came. As scathingly as possible he continued. "Any other woman would be happy to be with me, the savior of the world." He said sarcastically. "I still have to tell them to leave me alone, so I know that I'm not a dying trend."_

_When Narcissa opened her eyes he could see their anger, and he stopped talking, unsure what he'd said._

_"Yes," she said smoothly, holding back the rage he could see. "Any other woman would bow before you. The wonderfully strong Harry Potter. He saved the world, and therefore is the popular thing. They'd probably even accept your drunkenness just to be with you. I find this sickening, that you presume me to be a fan-girl, the sort of woman that always dreamed of being with you. I never wanted that. You're great fun, but growing more difficult by the week. This drinking is becoming disgusting. Mark my words, I'm not a little girl chasing after you for your beautiful smile and the fame you've gained."_

_"No, just the sex." Harry snapped._

_A cruel smiled covered the anger completely. "You seem to have enjoyed it."_

_"It wasn't bad," Harry said._

_"Then I'm sure you can find a better replacement. As I said before, I won't be with a drunk."_

_That was all she had to say, she stood again. As she passed by Harry, her hand touched the side of his face gently, like a soft kiss, and then she let go, disappearing out the door. Another of her erotic manipulations, at least to Harry._

_He stared at the drink she'd left, Then, hating himself, he stepped forward and lifted it to his lips, gulping the last of it. As it touched the table he stared at his reflection in a window, his eyes blazing. "It doesn't matter," he told the person in the window. "I'll find someone else to replace her easily enough."_

_It had been the truth, in a way. He could find someone to replace her. In fact, two nights later he way awake, staring at the dark ceiling of some woman he'd only met a few hours before. She was rolled up against him, sleeping quietly. There was something that was missing though, a satisfaction that wasn't there. He felt used and it hadn't even been that great._

_Turning, he pulled away from the woman and crawled out of the bed, looking for the ice box. The woman was muggle born and had a lot of muggle items in her house. He pulled a clear bottle out and stared at it for a minute before sighing and closing the fridge, bottle still in his hand._

_After searching the cabinets for a minute he gave up looking for any sort of glass. He unscrewed the cap and took a good swig of the alcohol. He sputtered when his head started to swim immediately._

_"Harry?" a voice said softly and Harry turned to see the beautiful brunette standing stark naked in the doorway. Harry blinked, but didn't say or feel anything. He picked up the bottle again, taking another drink, ready for the strength. The girl stepped forward, swaying erotically, or at least trying to. Harry didn't see anything erotic about it and for a brief moment he began to compare her to Narcissa. Angry at himself, he slammed the bottle onto the cabinet and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her, then bent over to kiss her sloppily. Of course, she responded, but he had a good idea why._

_A few hours later he stumbled from the apartment with the bottle in his hand. She'd fallen asleep again, but he hadn't, he'd just stared at the dark ceiling until he couldn't stand it anymore._

_Another three days later he woke in a dark alley, in a place he didn't recognize or remember stumbling into. It had happened occasionally when he'd been too drunk to apparate home or even remembered where it was. Someone passed by and he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, trying to keep from being seen. Another person passed by, mumbling something about drunks and Harry cringed, hating to hear the words._

_Harry stood, keeping the cloak tightly wrapped around him, and peered at the waking streets of Hogsmeade. Closing his eyes, he apparated to the flat he had purchased._

_Luna was there, waiting for him. She was asleep on the couch, where she had been spending more and more time. Still, she woke up when he apparated in. Even if it didn't make much noise, Luna had always had a magical sense that was well above anyone else's Harry knew._

_"You've returned," she said sighing. "I hadn't heard from you in a few days, so I thought I'd check on you. You weren't home, so I waited around."_

_"Am I a drunk?" Harry asked, tears in his eyes. If there was one thing in his life that he could rely on, it was Luna's honesty. She frowned at him and opened her mouth, then closed it again. She sighed._

_"Harry, some of the things that happened, they're hard to deal with."_

_Confused that Luna had avoided answering the question, Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Luna wouldn't let him. She continued on. "The things we did, the things we saw, the people we lost… no one blames you for using alcohol to drown away the pain. I hate to see you like this though, loosing your life to the bottle you've found solace in."_

_Cautiously she moved forward to Harry until she was right in front of him she looked right into his eyes and sighed again. "Yes Harry, you're a drunk."_

_Harry whimpered and sank to his knees in front of Luna. "She won't have me anymore," he said tears finally trickling down his face. "She said she won't stay with me if I'm going to stay a drunk."_

_"Then she has more willpower than I do." Luna said. "I could never leave you Harry. You're my brother, and I'll never give up on you."_

_"Even if I'm a drunken loser?"_

_"Even if you're a drunken loser."_

_Taking his arm, Luna pulled him to his feet. "You need to sleep it off, maybe get something to eat before though, I can't let you waste away completely."_

_Harry stumbled into his bedroom, brushing away the tears as he did. They were almost gone now, and he felt as if he'd cried all of them away, that there were no more tears to come, nothing more to cry about. He fell flat on his bed and crawled under the sheets, breathing heavily._

_When he awoke again he found Luna had stripped him of his clothing and put him to bed properly. He closed his eyes and sighed, he was becoming a mess._

_Standing slowly, Harry saw a small vial sitting in his dresser next to a plate of food. A small note on it stated it was a pepper up potion mixed with a hangover draught, something to help him get over the feelings he was no doubt going to have._

_He stared at the food and the potion next to it, then looked away. It was best if he lived with the headache. He did finally step forward and take a piece of the bread. He showered, washing himself roughly, trying to grind out the pain that he was going to have to endure._

_That night, as he stepped onto her doorstep he'd made up his mind. He didn't know if he should be there, they'd always spoken before he came over, and it had been five days since they'd even spoken._

_He knocked softly and an elf answered the door again. Its eyes widened when it saw him, and it bowed politely. "The mistress is saying if you is coming you is to know that she is not making compromises."_

_Harry nodded. He knew her well enough to know that she would be like that – that for her it was all or nothing._

_"Then the mistress is wanting you to know she is happy to have you back."_

_Harry was glad to hear it._

• Edited 2004.11.08 •


	4. Partners

Evocation 04

• Partners •

"Mother, what you do effects me as well," Draco said. Harry could hear him moving about, as if pacing. Harry realized that Draco must be trying to dissuade Narcissa from seeing him again, even though Draco didn't know who it was. Harry smirked, wondering if Draco would ever know, and how he'd react if he ever did find out.

Consciously Harry hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with that, he'd had enough of death for his entire life.

"You are a Malfoy," Draco snapped. "And my mother," he added, as if it wasn't as important as the name. "Anything you do effects our family in the long run, whether you deny it or not."

"I've denied nothing, nor do I intend to."

"There isn't a single man I know of who would defy me in such a way and sleep with my mother."

Narcissa laughed while Harry smiled from the bathroom. Draco had never learned to think properly, even after everyone that had supported him during the war was killed or stuck in a cell without a soul. It was foolish for him to have not adapted to the new life where he wasn't all powerful as his father had been promising since he was a child. Draco had friends, yes, but they weren't the sort of people that would hang on his every word. Draco had friends because he was the heir to the Malfoy estate, and had that not been the case, Harry doubted that many of them would be around at all.

"You defile the house through your indiscretions." Malfoy hissed. "You bring shame upon the Malfoy name."

Right then Harry almost marched out of the bathroom in the robe to bring Malfoy to his senses. It seemed that Draco had not realized how ineffective his arguments would be, how pointless it was to confront her, she was only going to irritate him more.

"Hear me woman," Draco snapped and Harry smirked. Narcissa must have been ignoring him, which was something she rarely did, she must have been infuriated at him.

"You simply repeat yourself Draco, it's as if you've forgotten everything you were taught," she chided.

A small part of the anger that had been building up in Draco spilled out. He screamed loudly and Harry could imagine his face turning purple with rage, just as his uncle's had done once upon a time.

"You... are... my... mother..." Draco said venomously slow. "I... _will_... not... allow... you... to... be... with... another... man..." he paused again, and Harry could picture him trembling, his fists clenched in anger. When he spoke again he'd regained some of the composure. "I am here to insure that."

It was all Harry could do not to chuckle out loud. As if Draco could take on his mother, the boy was just as much a fool as his father, likely even more so, there was no way that he would have any control over his mother's actions. Harry had learned a long time ago that Narcissa did whatever she pleased, and no one, not even an army, could stop it.

"If you do not end your relationship I'll disregard your claim to the Malfoy estate. You'll have nothing."

Draco was irritating, and foolish, but he wasn't stupid. He hadn't graduated in the top 10 of their class simply because he had money. Irritated, and still smirking at Draco's ignorance, Harry just shook his head to keep in control. The longer Draco talked the more that he wondered if Draco had some other plans. There was always something devious going on in his mind.

"Do as you wish," Narcissa said, surprising her son. "There is more to the world than money."

Harry opened his mouth, slightly surprised too, and wanting to respond. He wasn't sure what to say though. Money wasn't important to him, he could get along without a fortune, but she had always been very balanced about it. At first Harry had thought that it had been what drove her to offer some help in opening the shops they owned, but now, as he thought about it, he wasn't so sure.

Something was different, something about Narcissa had changed since he'd gone to bed with her the night before. It was confusing Harry, making him wonder about things he hadn't thought about before.

•

_"Money isn't the concern here." Narcissa said, looking Harry in the eye. "If that was why we were resurrecting the business then there'd be no point, would there?"_

_They were sitting in the middle of a dusty room, just the two of them. It smelled of burned wood and blood, a smell that disgusted Harry. He glanced at the sign that had been taken from the outside when the shop had originally closed. It was burnt on one side, no doubt due to some explosion from a curse gone astray during one of the many attacks Diagon Alley had been victim of only a couple of years before._

_The store, just as many had been, was closed down during those times. People hid from the world as best they could to avoid Voldemort and his followers. No one had set foot in this shop for well over a year now, not since the war had ended._

_'Number Ninety Three, Weasley' Wizarding Wheezes' the sign proclaimed brightly._

_It was from before – before the war had really started, before the Weasley's had all died. Of course somehow the twins had managed to write up a will at some point during the war. Their share was to be split between Lee and their family, but no one else had been alive to receive the inheritance, so Harry had received sole ownership. He hadn't wanted it, but he wouldn't get rid of it either, so he'd purchased the building from the owner, who sold it to him for a very reasonable price, and locked it up with magic so that no one could enter._

_Of course, other businesses had made offers after the war. Some of the work the twins had done had become popular, and there were a lot of people that would have gladly snatched up whatever they could. Good business practice. Harry had been angry that they'd even considered him wanting to sell, and eventually the offers had quit coming._

_He blinked back the tears that were hiding behind his emotionless face and looked away from the sign. Narcissa was staring at him._

_"Did you say something?" he asked quietly, his voice betraying the emotion that his face hid._

_Her hand slid across the table and she smiled gently, interlacing her hand into his. She squeezed gently, making Harry feel a little stronger inside. "They were your friends," she stated reverently. "That's why we're going to reopen this business, because it was something they wanted."_

_Harry nodded and looked at the sign again. He was finally getting his life straightened out, doing the things that he wanted to do. This was at the top of the list. It was something he couldn't bring himself to do before now, something that had caused him too much pain. It hurt to even walk past the store when he was shopping. However, he was facing it now, facing the ghosts of his past and trying to make sure that he lived their lives for them._

_"If you're not ready..." Narcissa said, letting the words sink in. She spoke softly, something that she only did when it was just the two of them. _

_She was a strong woman, but she understood him, understood the pain of doing this and it made Harry feel strong enough to go on. She brought that out in him, his strength, just as Voldemort had done, but in a completely different manner. Voldemort had brought out Harry's power, the magic that had eventually caused the-pompous-assholes defeat. While Narcissa brought out his inner strength, she helped that small voice inside, kept it going._

_She'd made him quit drinking, made him quit trying to forget the things that never should be forgotten. It had been five long months since he'd touched the stuff and he promised himself he'd never return to it. Narcissa had helped him do it. She'd dealt with the mood swings and memories, letting him vent his anger and frustration when they were alone. She'd even allowed herself to be seen with him publicly a time or two when he was in need of a friend to keep him on the path. _

_Of course, it had all been because it was needed, as soon as he was strong enough she quit allowing it, because it was nothing more than a sexual relationship. So, their relationship stayed a secret, something Harry didn't mind, because it meant more to him that way. At first he'd been worried that she wanted something from him, something other than sex, but that thought had passed after a time._

_He knew it was wrong to be doing it. He had after all killed her husband, and she was much older than him, not that it really showed all that much. It was something that troubled him constantly, but he allowed a little corner of his mind for those problems, and the rest kept focusing on the road ahead._

_"We're going to have to interview candidates for creating new products and going through notes on how they made the old ones. There will be people in her constantly. I'm not sure if you're…"_

_Harry cut her off with a look. She knew his every mood by now. "It's alright," he said. "I'll get through this."_

_"We'll get through it," she said softly, squeezing his hand gently again before he nodded. She played the supportive role perfectly, and Harry wondered if it was because she was doing it to keep him around, or for some other reason. It didn't matter though, not at the moment. For now he needed someone with him if he was going to do this, and her being there was enough to keep him confident. This had been one thing that Luna couldn't return too, not yet. Ron had spent a good deal of his time working in the store before it had closed, and some of her fondest memories had been in the backrooms. _

_As they cleaned up the place (it had been closed after the attack – and had never been cleaned since, everyone was too busy to worry about it) Harry glanced at Narcissa several times._

_"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "This is something I want to do. You didn't even like the Weasley's."_

_Narcissa didn't respond, not at first. She wouldn't even turn to face him, she continued picking up scattered items one by one. She stood several minutes later and placed the last of them in a box that had been set aside and finally turning to Harry. "It's something that's been bothering you for a long time. And, well, if we're partners like you suggested, it could make a bit of money."_

_"Money doesn't matter." Harry pointed out, something she'd said a few minutes before._

_"Perhaps," Narcissa said, shrugging. Then she turned back to the work she'd been doing as if nothing happened. Harry didn't asked again, he had the feeling that she didn't want to talk about it, so he let it lay. Not that the thought didn't come up again, it was just something that he had to figure out for himself._

_When they finally did have the place cleaned, Narcissa sat down with him in the middle of the room and outlined what would need to be done, including money that would have to be invested. His eyes widened when he saw the cost of getting everything going. It wasn't that he didn't have the money, between the Black family fortune he had inherited and the Potter fortune, he was quite rich. Still, the money that she wanted to invest was quite a large sum, and unexpected._

_Narcissa either missed the look, or ignored it, because she went through the contract explaining the business relationship that would be needed. Everything was split fifty-fifty, he was the owner and she was a silent partner even though most of the decisions would go through her._

_The publicity would be routed to, and through him, so that the store would be a big hit. It was one of the things they'd talked about since Harry had detested dealing with the wizarding world. Even though he'd given up the bottle, he had stayed out of the spotlight unless it was absolutely necessary, even refusing a seat on the Wizengamot. Whenever he went out it was always with a hooded no-descript cloak, something he could hide under._

_"You'll have to face them all again," Narcissa said after pausing over the terms. She'd said it before, and was brining it up again. "Everyone. There well be autographs and public appearances, if this is going to be successful you need to appear more than a few times."_

_"And you get to hide in the dark," Harry said, smirking. Reaching over, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I know. I'll be able to do it."_

_She seemed stun by the outward sign of affection, with nothing more intended. Harry had forgotten until that moment that she had rarely ever done anything like that outside the bedroom. Not that they were together very often anywhere else, but she was always a little colder when they were elsewhere, even if it was just the two of them. There had been a sort of silent agreement not to, and he'd just broken it. Squeezing his hand was a sign of support, but a gentle kiss was something altogether different._

_"… the business will be split into equal shares," she said, looking back to the contract, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had suddenly appeared. "Once the original investment has been repaid, all revenues will be split equally between the two of us. Should the business fail before the original investment is repaid, all assets will be sold towards that cost."_

_"So if this doesn't work out, you don't make anything?" Harry asked, surprised. She smiled. "This is your business. And money isn't everything…"_

_•_

Nothing more was said about money, and never had been since then. The contract, simply existed. Harry wondered what it was that was more important to her than money, because, for a few brief moments he'd wondered if it was him.

Of course, his mind had dismissed the idea as impossible, she'd given him up before and could readily do it again. She kept their relationship a complete secret, which was something he was wondering about lately. She seemed to hate the idea of the relationship progressing any further than what it was. She never asked him over, rather invited him. If he didn't come it was as simple as that, and she'd never pushed it any further. However, when he did deny his needs it took her days before she'd accept him back. He knew he couldn't be more important to her if she could give him up so easily.

•


	5. Erudition

Evocation 05

• Erudition •

"I know who it is," Draco said quietly.

Harry blinked and gaped. He was surprised that Draco had held back for so long. But, he shouldn't have been. Draco was remarkably smart for how stupid he was. It was extremely irritating as well. Still, it had kept him alive.

Narcissa didn't reply right away and Harry wondered why. If she knew he knew, she might try and calm the situation, break his anger down. But, she hadn't tried that and Harry wondered why. There had to be something, some reason for her silence. Surprise didn't keep her silent, not unless it was something that was beyond surprising, something that was astonishing, and Draco knowing who he was wasn't close to that.

Perhaps he was grandstanding, trying to bluff his way into her telling. Harry hoped it was so, he'd only had one person ever discover their secret. Someone who had seen them together and made the connection, then gone beyond his position and checked into it, finding out as much as he could.

It was Tonks' birthday when he approached. Harry remembered how angry he'd been when it first happened. Now he had thoughts as to why it had been chosen then. Dumbledore had been looking for emotion, something Harry hadn't shown him since before he graduated from Hogwarts. Something that was kept from him, so that Dumbledore knew he no longer affected Harry even if that wasn't the real reason.

•

_He was waiting behind the pillar at the entrance to the graveyard. He knew because there were only two people in the world who had known where he would be. Of the two, Luna and Dumbledore, Dumbledore was the only one who would disturb his privacy and come here. Luna had other ways of contacting him that would be much quicker and she knew that when he was ready she would be invited. It was the same when she went to Ron's grave._

_Harry stopped immediately, wondering if he should continue forward. He'd just spoken to Tonks for an hour and really didn't feel like being brought back to reality by the meddlesome old man. He finally sighed and took another step forward, knowing that it would go much quicker to deal with it now than to find Dumbledore waiting around every corner._

_He closed his eyes and continued past the entrance, not even glancing toward Dumbledore. He hoped if he ignored the man that he would let Harry go. There was no way that he would have missed Dumbledore, the man made no effort to hide other than to stay out of sight._

_"Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, as if trying not to scare him, but to startle him to reality._

_Harry didn't even hesitate, he just continued forward, hoping the man would get the point._

_"I have something to talk to you about. Something I fear stems from your loss of Tonks."_

_For a moment he did hesitate this time, and Harry's face locked tight. He turned, his face completely void of emotions, which took a great deal of work because of how blatant Dumbledore was. "What is it you want?" Harry asked, his voice sharp as a knife. Generally he was able to retain control of it, but at the moment he was having a difficult enough time not cursing Dumbledore or leaving altogether._

_"You're seeing a woman now," Dumbledore said as Harry looked to him. "Narcissa Malfoy."_

_"You've not lost a bit of your wit." Harry said, ignoring the comment as best he could. "You certainly have a knack for showing up when I need it least."_

_'I don't understand how you can consort with that woman," Dumbledore said quietly. "She is the wife of Lucius Malfoy, one of the men responsible for killing Tonks and Hermione. She is the mother of Draco, who has been named a Death Eater, though unfortunately no proof has been brought forward."_

_"Always trying to interfere with my business," Harry said with a sarcastic laugh. "It's as if you think you're my father or something."_

_"Harry, I do not feel as if I'm your father, I am only trying to keep you from making mistakes in your life that could cause you harm."," Dumbledore said, looking slightly disturbed. He was older looking now, older than he'd looked ever. A lot of witches and wizards were relieved when Voldemort fell, but not Dumbledore, he was moving on to the next thing, trying to save the world from everyone else that might hurt it. He seemed like the worlds perfect optimist, but in reality he was one of its avid pessimists._

_"By interfering with my life it only makes me want to hate you more," Harry said, looking to Dumbledore and letting some of the anger seep into his eyes. Even though he hadn't been drinking for a long time and he was becoming quite successful in life he hadn't lost the pain that Dumbledore and Voldemort had caused him, nor would he forget either of them for it. He'd killed Voldemort, but he couldn't kill Dumbledore._

_There was a long sigh, a sign that Dumbledore was thinking. He was brilliant at covering himself, but Harry knew him better than anyone alive, he'd trained under the man for a full year and seen things that he hated to remember. "I know you hate me Harry," he responded. "I have accepted that you will not ever understand what I had to do, but I am telling you this as the man you once called a friend. That woman will cause your death. Have you not forgotten that she was the cause of Sirius' death as well? The person who Kreacher spoke to?"_

_Harry looked straight into Dumbledore's eyes, knowing that he shouldn't. Something like that would cause a battle of the minds, and Harry really didn't want to battle with Dumbledore. There was a reason that Voldemort had been afraid of him, and it was the same reason Harry had trained under him. The man was strong even for an old man._

_"I know that you lied to me," Harry said with a deadly quiet. There were things he'd found out during the war that made him cold inside, things that Dumbledore had done. Like springing the prophecy on him right after Sirius' death. It had served many purposes, one of them was to break down Harry's will to keep people alive. He knew about the Cruciatus curse Harry had used and never told him. He'd known about the hate and used it. While he wouldn't delve into the dark arts he wasn't against guiding someone else through them, someone like Harry who obviously had a knack for them. The curse, while not working properly, had worked which was something to be afraid of._

_The words caught Dumbledore by surprise. He wasn't sure how to respond to them. Kreacher had gone to Narcissa, that was the truth, but she had not been the one to attain the information, she had sent him back to the family. Of course, Lucius had let slip where Bellatrix was, and Kreacher had turned to her since she was still a part of the family. Narcissa had been an unwitting accomplice, and Dumbledore had used her to keep Harry from ever consorting with the Malfoys. He'd been afraid that Draco would be able to get in under Harry's skin through treachery, and so he'd made some slight changes to the story of Kreachers betrayal._

_"Did she tell you that I lied?" Dumbledore asked, a slight twitch on his lips. Harry knew why, he was going to try and play it off, pretend that he hadn't lied. Harry knew better._

_"No," he said venomously. "I dragged the story from Kreachers mouth before I killed him."_

_Dumbledore visibly paled. Kreacher had disappeared during Harry's seventh year, and Harry had seemed relieved. The old man could not have believed that Harry killed the elf, not at that time. When no one found the elf they had decided that whatever he could tell Voldemort's ranks did not matter.._

_"You didn't," Dumbledore said weakly. "You couldn't have."_

_"I took off his head," Harry said with a smiled that would have made the dead shiver in their graves. "He requested it more than a few times, and as heir to my godfather's possessions it was my right. Don't worry, he told me a lot of things that he'd been told to keep within the order, things he'd seen or heard that I had no knowledge of."_

_"You..." Dumbledore said, but stopped. Harry had never seen the man gape, but there he was, lips open, no words coming from his mouth. He looked like a fish out of water._

_"I knew," Harry said quietly. "I knew everything. I knew exactly what you had planned, exactly what you thought I could do. I went along with it at the time because I knew that it was the best chance we had for destroying Voldemort, and that was something I wouldn't back down from, not after what you'd done to me. I couldn't back down; I couldn't just let him take over. I learned what I could, sapped you from every bit of information you had, and then I took more. I destroyed you from the inside, breaking down the order before you could cause the same problems that you did years before."_

_"Why are you with her?" Dumbledore asked, trying to guide the conversation away from him and to something else that Harry could latch on to._

_"You never figured it out," Harry continued, ignoring Dumbledore's attempts to try and control the conversation again. "I stole away every bit of control of the war you had. I sabotaged the ministry with my own spies, I took away your spies one by one, I left you with nothing and then destroyed him. I **killed** because it was what needed to be done."_

_Tears were making tiny rivers down Dumbledore's face and Harry smiled with grim satisfaction. He'd hated himself for it, but he wouldn't tell the old man that, he wasn't going to tell him that by destroying what Dumbledore had created he'd destroyed something inside himself, something that had kept him going. He knew he'd turned into something that was a mix of Dumbledore and Voldemort, he'd bridged the gap between the men and been changed by it. Changed forever._

_"She helps me stay alive," Harry said, finally turning the conversation to Narcissa. "She makes me keep going. She helped me become a better person."_

_The breeze picked up, blowing leaves around the empty graves not far behind Harry and toying with his already windswept hair. He seemed to be stronger than he had when he'd come into the graveyard. It seemed that getting the secrets out had taken some of the hidden pain away, what pain still remained._

_"We have a beneficial relationship."_

_"Beneficial?" asked Dumbledore, trying to keep from breaking down. Harry could see it in his eyes, see how close he was to the edge. Harry hated and loved himself for doing it. He wouldn't ever forgive the old man, but he wasn't sure if he could destroy him, so he let it go, let the old man cling to whatever was left._

_"We fuck," Harry stated._

_Dumbledore blinked once, then blinked again. It seemed that the two words had surprised him as much as everything else had._

_"She does not ask anything of you?" he inquired._

_"She asks me to come over so we can do it every night," Harry said with a snort. He thought it was funny, telling Dumbledore such truths. Making the old man feel a little embarrassed and surprised, catching him off guard._

_"Sometimes we just sleep together," Harry said with a laugh. "I just come over and lay with her in her husbands bed, right where he used to sleep. She finds me a wonderful lover and a great companion for the nights."_

_"Surely she is looking for something else... your business..."_

_Harry laughed, he couldn't help it, Dumbledore grasping at straws, it was fantastic. He hadn't planned it either, it was something that had just happened. It was almost worth talking to the man to see this happen._

_"Our business is exactly that," Harry snapped. "It is a business, we are partners, she takes care of the business end, I bring in more sales by showing my face at every press conference. It makes a great combination."_

_"Why Harry? Why her?"_

_"She's great in bed, and she doesn't just want to sleep with me because I'm the boy-who-lived. I don't have to worry about her telling the press, she rather enjoys keeping our relationship a secret." Harry replied, smirking. He was thoroughly enjoying making Dumbledore the fool._

_"There are other options," Dumbledore offered. "There is a business in Hogsmeade that provides services, discreet services that are guaranteed. If that is what you are looking for they would keep you both satisfied and out of the spotlight."_

_It was all Harry could do not to laugh. He knew what Dumbledore was talking about, a hen-house, or a whore-house, whichever term would fit it best. Full of promiscuous woman who would do anything you wanted for money. Just the thought of Dumbledore using them was funny, and something that Harry didn't really want to know about._

_Harry turned to leave, but stopped, having a final though. He turned back to Dumbledore, throwing aside the tendrils of thought that stemmed from Dumbledore's eyes. "Swear you'll not communicate of anything you heard from me, or anything you know of my relationship with Narcissa and I will leave you in peace."_

_Dumbledore's eyes widened, a sign that he was startled at the request. Harry wouldn't let it go though, not after what he'd told Dumbledore. Things that only Luna knew, things that never needed to be discussed again._

_"Do it," he hissed, letting out a hint of the power he held. He could kill Dumbledore if it came to that, and if it was between the possibility of going to Azkaban for the rest of his life or killing the old man he knew the answer. He would not go to Azkaban, but neither would he kill Dumbledore. Still, Dumbledore didn't know that._

_Dumbledore hung his head resignedly. "I swear I will not communicate anything that was spoken of today or of the relationship between you and Narcissa."_

•

That was the end of it. It had happened a long time ago, when the business was still only two shops. Things had changed since then, but not much.

• Updated 2004.11.24 •


	6. Patches

Evocation 06

• Patches •

Draco was laughing.

The last memory flash hadn't been like the others, a simple flash of remembrance. Harry had gotten lost in it and because of that he'd missed something that had gone on in the next room. He scolded himself quietly, listening in again to what was happening. While he and Narcissa weren't husband and wife, he was certainly interested in her safety, and Draco laughing wasn't a good sign.

However, Harry hadn't heard his name, so he was pretty sure that they hadn't spoke about him, at least not directly. That meant that whatever it was that Draco thought he knew was wrong or he didn't know at all. Silently he was hoping that Draco did know it was him, that everything up to this point had been a ploy. It would be better for him to know now and get over it than to show up and find Harry in her bed. Because Harry knew one thing, unless Narcissa told him to go away, he was planning on returning to her bed. He was comfortable around her, and deep down, even though he was sure that it wouldn't go over well, he wanted to be with her for a long, long time. She didn't like that sort of thing, commitment, and there was no commitment in their relationship unless it involved the business.

Legs numbed from the position he was sitting in, Harry slowly crawled to his feet. He was careful to make It soundless, so that Draco wouldn't hear him moving around. Then, one at a time, he stretched his legs. If he was going to have to react to something Draco did, it wouldn't be good to have legs that were not working properly.

One of the many things he'd learned as an Auror was to suspect everyone, never let your guard down. Of course, that was on the battlefield and when working, he wasn't the sort that Mad-Eye was, looking for enemies around every corner. But, he hadn't forgot the things he'd learned as an Auror even though he'd resigned as soon as he'd defeated the Dark-Lord. He wasn't exactly happy with the way things were run at the ministry.

"You've changed your priorities mother," Draco said. There was a hint of anger and a hint of fear. It seemed that whatever she'd said was making him afraid, and afraid enough that he was letting it slip. One of the things he'd been bad at during his school years was emotions, but it had been a long time since then. Draco had changed a lot, and one of those changes was his control.

Harry wondered what priorities she'd changed. After all, she was still the same woman that had dragged him to her house and slept with him without a second thought. He knew it because of something that had happened only a few months before.

•

_The gondola came to rest in front of an empty market place where the wizards could enter into the magical part of Venice. There was a few gondolas that ferried knowing muggles and others to this place, and Harry had insisted using it instead of just directly apparating in, simply because he wanted to see Venice as it was._

_Narcissa had just shaken her head, but then, it wasn't a no, and that was alright with Harry._

_"That was beautiful," he said as he offered her his hand to steady herself as she stepped out of the boat._

_"Yes, utterly beautiful." Narcissa said sarcastically, rolling her eyes._

_Harry smiled, knowing she'd liked it, even if she wouldn't admit it. They hadn't done anything in the gondola for many reasons, one of them being that they didn't want to be photographed together because, anything dealing with Harry Potter would mean that the whole world would know._

_There was going to be enough ruckus when he opened up this branch of the WWW. He smiled as they entered into the small pub that hid the magical alleyways of Venice. It was always a pub or some sort. He continued through following Narcissa, not even glancing to the counter, he'd been dry for well over two years now, and no longer even felt the urge. He remembered what it had done to him._

_Luna would be meeting them tomorrow for the grand opening, but today he and Narcissa were checking on the status of the shop. Narcissa had visited once already to hire several people and get everything started. Since then everything had been taking care of by those Narcissa hired, and through owl post._

_They entered into the alley, a place that Narcissa had called Piazza Magia. It had something to do with a legend the wizards had. It didn't matter much, Harry had other things on his mind._

_"Smile," Narcissa said, then she was gone with the wind. Though he'd been expecting media he flinched when he rounded the corner to see camera's flashing. One thing's about opening a new store that got on his nerves was the astonishing amount of press it always got._

_Since the store had expanded and taken in two small shops in other countries, the WWW had gone from slightly popular to world renowned. Both of the small shops had been run by pranksters very much like the twins, one of them older, but both barely able to survive on their own. Now, with funding, their research was leading to completely new trinkets that seemed to catch everyone's eyes._

_In just over a year the original shop had turned into a huge money maker, and over 100 witches and wizards worked under the two partners. All because of Harry's name, Narcissa's business mind, and the wonderful toys the twins had come up with._

_A business smile flashed on Harry's lips, something Narcissa had taught him after the first opening. He had schooled his emotions well enough by then, she had just given him a few acting lessons. Several reporters were there with quills in hand, ready to copy every word that was spoken._

_One of them rushed forward, causing a stampede. When everything calmed down he got out his question. "Is it true Mr. Potter, that you're going to open a second store focused on muggle objects?"_

_Harry smiled. Narcissa had had the idea oddly enough. One of the times she'd come to his flat she'd seen a television and become entranced by everything it offered. That had been seven months ago. Now she was trying to work with the magical governments to come to an agreement about using muggle objects. It broke several rules, but as she liked to say, 'rules are there for changing'._

_He started into the pre-prepared speech about the Magical Muggle Mysteries shop, the one that Narcissa had forced him to memorize. He outlined what they were trying to do, and pointed out the benefits exactly as she'd told him to. After all, the government wouldn't have full control if everyone was against them._

_Several hours later, after a few signings and showings Harry finally retired from the press, finding a quite corner of the pub to watch the sun go down. When there was a clink on the table, Harry turned, startled, to see Narcissa putting down two Butterbeers. "You did well," she said quietly. "I think we may be able to get that contract pushed through. Blaise is quite the sweet talker, he's been whittling down the minister for quite some time and as soon as the information gets through to them I think they'll break."_

_Blaise Zabini had turned out to be quite a valued asset after Narcissa had hired him. He was a half-blood Slytherin that Harry had known from back at Hogwarts. They didn't have to worry about him talking to Draco because Draco refused to talk to anyone other than a pureblood, which suited Harry just fine. It limited the things he could discover. _

_Lee Jordan was running the shop at Diagon Alley, along with the mail order service based in Britain. After they'd opened up Harry had been surprised to find him there, Harry had thought the boy was dead. But, he'd shown up, asked for a job, which Harry gladly gave him, and worked his way into a management position._

_"I have a surprise for you," Harry said quietly after he'd finished off his butterbeer. _

_Narcissa looked mildly surprised, thinking she knew what 'surprise' he had in mind. She kept quiet as they slid past the crowd of people. Harry easily kept from being seen by putting a notice-me-not charm on himself. Narcissa was just another witch in the crowd. She had a knack for blending into crowds when she felt the need to._

_Outside the pub Harry waved to a gondola that was waiting for him._

_When they stepped out of the gondola they were no longer anywhere near the wizarding world. Narcissa seemed surprised that the ride had lasted as long as it did. But, after helping her out of the boat, Harry only slipped his hand into hers and pulled her gently behind him. _

_After two years, he'd never once gone further than a soft kiss, not unless they were in private. He held back because he felt Narcissa draw away when he ever stepped on that line that she'd told him they would not cross. Pushing her away had effected him badly, and so he'd never tried anything further. After so long he had finally grown bold enough to try once more._

_It was a short walk, but it seemed to take longer as Narcissa slowed, confused at what was happening. She was a smart woman and was rarely confused. When they arrived, Harry checked his watch, making sure that everything was going as planned. It was perfect timing even though it had seemed to take a great deal of time._

_He nodded, took a deep breath and then led Narcissa into a plaza. He smiled, relieved when it seemed as everything had gone as planned. The plaza was completely empty except for a band near one side. They seemed dazed, in a sort of half-trance, and Harry knew they wouldn't remember anything when they came out of it. It was a part of the deal that he'd made. It wasn't cheap either, but money didn't bother him, he had paid a great deal for the Piazza San Marco to clear out and it was done just as he'd wanted._

_He knew she'd like it, even thought it was a popular muggle attraction, and even though she'd found some muggle artifacts fascinating she still didn't like muggles around her. But it wasn't the muggles she'd like, it was the birds, the reason that the muggles found the plaza so inviting. Narcissa had always been fond of birds, every sort, and when he'd seen the muggle brochure he knew that it was perfect for her._

_Smiling, he held his hand out, bird seed pouring from both ends. His pockets were full of it, he'd made a visit to the place the day before just to see it. Birds appeared from everywhere, as if by magic, and Narcissa gasped next to him. Harry let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding, and let her hand go, dropping seed into it. In a matter of seconds they were surrounded and covered by birds who had found any spot they could to look for food._

_For the first time in his life, Harry felt something that made him warm inside, a sense of fulfillment. The food he had was quickly gone and when Harry saw Narcissa's disappointed look, Harry's eyes traveled the plaza again until he found a man sitting next to a shop-stand, his eyes closed, his head nodding to the beat of the music._

_Pulling her behind him, Harry marched over to the man. The shop-owner opened his eyes and smiled brightly. His grey hair fluttering in the breeze that filled the plaza. Some of the birds were still perched on each of their shoulders and the man seemed to be in excellent spirits. "How may I help you this quiet evening?"_

_"Do you have bird feed?" Harry asked and the man smiled brighter. He reached into the small cart next to him and pulled forth a large plastic bag._

_"Take it," he said. "For the beautiful couple who has shown me what it's like to be in love."_

_Next to him, Harry found feel Narcissa tense. She stared hard at him, but didn't say anything. Harry brushed away the thought. He wasn't concerned with what other people thought, he'd had so many people around him think so many things that all of it just seemed to disappear. For half an hour they fed the birds, with soft music playing in the background, a perfectly romantic setting._

_When they ran out of the large bag of food Harry turned to her, and politely asked for a dance. Narcissa frowned and looked around suddenly. "It's alright," Harry soothed, taking her hand. "The plaza is ours tonight, I made sure of that."_

_She nodded finally. Harry slipped his hand into hers and pulled the second one around her, pulling her gently to him. Birds fluttered all around the both of them still picking at the remaining food that the two had spread. She gently placed her head on his shoulder, sighing and Harry smiled, leaning his head against hers. "You know what today is, don't you?" he whispered in her ear when the third song started ended and another started with a similar beat._

_Narcissa pulled away, looking at him guardedly, even slightly fearful. He smiled gently, touching her cheek, trying to pacify whatever fear had crept up in her._

_"Today, three years ago, was the first time we were ever together."_

_"I… can't."_

_And then she was gone, from right within his arms. A tiny pop the only thing that signified she had even been there. Birds cooed and Harry felt something cold inside, almost like when he lost Tonks in the war. _

_That night Harry slept alone and not by choice. It was the first time that had happened in a year and he felt uncomfortable, alone. The next day he had opened the shop with an emotionless smile on his face, Luna at his side while camera's flashed everywhere. When the store had officially opened and the cameras had disappeared, Luna took a gondola ride with him, one that he paid to extend so that they could talk._

_"I don't understand," he admitted. "I only wanted to give her something. Even if we've promised each other to go no further than lovers, wouldn't a gift be alright?"_

_Luna sighed. "Harry, what she can't understand is her own feelings. What you've done – what you did – was nothing short of romantic. You say you don't love her, but then you do something like that."_

_"I don't," Harry said cautiously. "Not like I loved Tonks. It's like you, I love you, but as a sister. I love her as a … I don't know, it's hard to explain."_

_"Then tell her it was a mistake and you want to go back to the way things were."_

_He did, and after a while she had let him return. Still, there was something that seemed to bother Harry, something he wasn't sure about, a feeling inside that he'd had for a short while._

• Updated 2004.11.24 •


	7. Confessions

Evocation 07

• Confessions •

"And what if I was to tell you that I could just as easily rid myself of you completely? It would be much easier not to have to worry about legally removing you from the trust."

"I am your mother," she snapped.

"And you've taught me well."

Harry's eyes widened. He knew Draco lusted for power – but to take over the Malfoy estate by getting rid of his mother, even Harry couldn't be sure that Draco would do such a thing,

"And I'll hold no blame. Your lover's wand makes a great weapon to use. I will hold no accountability to it."

Harry flinched. Draco must have seen it there, and even moved around the bed until he was in a positioned where he could get to it before she could.

"It's a shame he forgot it. Maybe if he returns I'll kill him too and claim that I found him just as he used the curse on you, and killed him as well."

"You'll do no such thing," she hissed venomously. "You are my son."

"And you've betrayed my father's memory; you deserve nothing less than death."

She spat at him, he could hear it spatter on his face and the silence afterwards. She growled after a few seconds, probably when he'd raised his wand. Harry was having a hard time staying still, he couldn't see her die. "Your father betrayed me long before he died, do you think there's a reason I've only had one child? He insured that I only had one child, a son. He even made sure that the first time I became pregnant she died, because it was a she. One child, a son, that's all he would allow for. I quit caring for your father from that moment."

More silence, and both Draco and Harry were stunned even more than they had been before by the things that had been said. "I've found someone I love."

Harry blinked and gaped. He blinked again, and a memory of the night before suddenly filled him.

_She'd been laying next to him after a particularly vigorous session of sex and she kissed his cheek. Harry was barely awake at the time, but now he vividly remembered the words she'd spoken to him._

_I love you._

_At the time he'd been too exhausted for words or thoughts, and he'd forgotten the words until that moment._

"And he loves her back," Harry whispered, realizing the truth of it. After everything he'd remembered he knew there was no doubt about it. He huffed and swung the door open fully, marching into the room where Narcissa and Draco were.

"Someone that won't let her die, while he hides in the shadows," he announced, surprising the both of them.

Draco let out sound that could be construed as a scream, though it sounded more like a choking pigs cry. "Harry Potter?!" He screamed in fury. "The man who killed my father? He's not even pureblooded!"

He looked absolutely furious, and then his eyes lit in a sickening glee. He laughed and raised Harry's wand, speaking words to the spell Harry hated most of all. _Avada Kedavra._

With a burst of speed Harry threw himself forward onto the bed, right in between the two of them. He felt the spell strike him in his back, he didn't care, nor was he worried. He smiled at her as his back arched in tremendous pain. There eyes connected and he fell onto her. "Someone that loves her," he whispered into her ear as he blacked out.

• Updated 2004.11.24 •


	8. Destiny

Happy Thanksgiving. This is my present to you, the rest of the story. So no one say I never gave you anything.

Evocation 08

• Destiny •

The Auror that showed up to investigate the explosion at the Malfoy Manor was astonished to find Mrs. Malfoy sitting on the lawn crying, with Harry Potters head in her lap.

The north wing of the manor had been reduced to rubble, and several frightened house-elves were scurrying around trying to save the rest of the house from the fire that was spreading.

More Aurors appeared within minutes, because anything involving Harry Potter was not a trivial thing.

Narcissa cried and cried, ignoring those who appeared around her, ignoring the questions that were brought up. It wasn't long before a hand touched her shoulder and a warm body slid to his knees next to her. She recognized Luna Lovegood, the woman who was Harry's only other confidant, the one he'd called his sister.

Narcissa wept harder as Luna touched Harry's face gently. "He told me he loved me," she confessed, staring at his slack face and crying harder.

•

_A green eyes little girl was in her arms. Luna blinked and looked around, unsure of her current predicament. She'd had flashes before. Sometimes they were the past, of peoples memories, or her own. Sometimes they were the future, of what would happen. And, sometimes they were just things that she saw, things that never happened._

_She smiled and tugged on Luna's hair. "Play!" she said, giggling._

_Luna stared into her eyes, feeling lost. She had Harry's eyes. But her hair was blonde, and as far as Luna knew no potter was ever blonde. "Fairy Godmother!" the child taunted. "Daddy says you'll take me to the races because mummy won't let him take me."_

_A dark haired child approached. He was a bit older, but not quite old enough to be going to school yet, at least not a magical school. He smiled grimly, brushing away the hair that had been combed down, but didn't seem to want to stay. "Mother says that we can go as long as you take us. Father always gets too excited and ends up trying to enter himself."_

_Luna looked up to see the largest cat she'd ever seen bounding across the yard she was standing in. It took a flying leap and changed, mid-jump, into Harry Potter. He tackled the dark haired youth and wrestled with him on the ground for a second before standing up and trying, unsuccessfully, to brush himself off. He gave Luna a lopsided grin. "Mother says that I'm not allowed to go to any more events that have anything to do with a broom, says I'm a danger to myself."_

_Then he leaned in and whispered. "She wants to spend some time alone with me. We haven't had much of it since the brats got summer vacation. Besides, it's part of the job of being a godmother, letting us have some fun once in a while. You already spoil them rotten, might as well make it convenient for us."_

_Luna nodded mildly, understanding that Harry wanted to have a romantic day with Narcissa. She was went along with everything, not mentioning she didn't know where the race was, or who was racing. She knew one of the children would._

_"Come on you two," she said, smiling. "Let's let mother and father have a boring day while we go have some fun." _

_"Luna," Harry said and she turned to him, feeling slightly dazed. He bent in and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. We wouldn't want these rascals to get into trouble."_

_He smiled and turned back to head towards the house. Luna smiled thoughtfully as one of the children dragged her down the path. "The Knight Bus!" one of them said before the memory faded._

•

"He'll be fine," Luna said with a smile on her lips. She was going to be a godmother of two beautiful children.

Narcissa's head whipped around so fast that her hair snapped at Luna. Luna only blinked, completely unfazed. She smiled and leaned in closer so that the Aurors that were around couldn't hear. She wasn't worried about them keeping it a secret, she just preferred they not hear it in the first place. Harry didn't like people knowing.

"During the last battle, after Harry had dueled Voldemort and had won the fight, he was on the verge of collapsing. A Death Eater was able to get close to him and used the Avada Kedavra curse on him," she explained quietly. She wasn't all that worried about Narcissa knowing, not after that flash of the future. She smiled again, touching the side of Harry's face as she remembered it. She was there when it happened, and she too had been in Narcissa's place for different reasons, hating to see Harry die, but unable to change it.

By that time Ron had been dead for a few months, and Hermione had died earlier in the battle. Luna had been fighting alongside Harry until Voldemort had appeared out of the mist like a creature in storybooks, challenging Harry to a duel. She'd seen the whole thing from the ground. A curse had disabled her and she'd been ignored since, stuck on the ground watching the two duel while the curse slowly drained the life from her.

When the curse of death had struck Harry there was an explosion that resounded miles and miles away. It was unlike anything Luna had ever witnessed before. "A lot of people thought that the explosion was the final moments of Voldemort," Luna explained. "It's what the paper wrote, and what everyone believed. However, that doesn't really matter, what does matter is that he lived. You see, his mother placed a powerful charm on him when he was a child, and though Voldemort could get through, other dark magic that was targeting him specifically did not work properly. That is why he lived, and why he's alive now."

"So he is alive?" Narcissa asked, tears in her eyes.

"Unconscious," she said. "I wasn't there afterwards, but Harry said that he was unconscious for almost a day before he woke."

•

Two weeks later, Harry led Narcissa into a nearly empty plaza where music played. Luna watched from the side dressed in a set of beautiful blue dress robes and a wry smile on her face. Another man smiled brightly as Harry appeared and then handed him a bag of bird feed before talking a few steps back and finding a seat.

Slowly Harry reached up and unbound the handkerchief that had blocked Narcissa's vision.

"Dance with me?" he asked, taking her hand "… Mrs. Potter."

• Updated 2004.11.24 •

Fin

Authors note: Again, I'd like to thank Iceman for helping me out through this story. It was because of his wealth of inspiration that I was able to write this story. Thank you Hermione Green for beta'ing and letting me spend hours yakking about the story while you (I'm sure) just sighed and dealt with me, who read it even though she generally doesn't like the pairing. Thank you Zanymuggle for beta'ing as well, for reassuring me that the story was good and making sure it was better than what I had originally written.

I have one question for those of you reading and reviewing. What do you want to see? I'm not the greatest writer, and since this is actually a secondary account, I don't plan on writing long stories. However, I want to write some short stories like this, and I'm looking for plot ideas – especially Bellatrix – about how to get Harry with her. If you have requests I will seriously consider them so write them out.


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